§ 19-12-104 - Creation and administration of Tobacco Settlement Cash Holding Fund. - Arkansas Statutes

19-12-104. Creation and administration of Tobacco Settlement Cash Holding Fund.

(a) There is hereby created and established a fund, held separate and apart from the State Treasury, to be known as the "Tobacco Settlement Cash Holding Fund", which fund shall be administered by the State Board of Finance.

(b) All moneys received as part of the Tobacco Settlement are hereby designated cash funds pursuant to 19-6-103, restricted in their use and to be used solely as provided in this chapter. All MSA Disbursements shall be initially deposited into the credit of the Tobacco Settlement Cash Holding Fund, when and as received. Any and all MSA Disbursements received prior to the effective date of this Act shall be immediately transferred to the Tobacco Settlement Cash Holding Fund upon this chapter becoming effective. The Tobacco Settlement Cash Holding Fund is intended as a cash fund, not subject to appropriation, and, to the extent practical, amounts in the Tobacco Settlement Cash Holding Fund shall be immediately distributed to the other Funds and Accounts described in this chapter.

(c) The Initial MSA Disbursement shall be distributed from the Tobacco Settlement Cash Holding Fund to the Arkansas Healthy Century Trust Fund as an initial endowment pursuant to 19-12-107.

(d) After the Initial MSA Disbursement has been transferred as set forth in subsection (c) of this section, the State Board of Finance, beginning with MSA Disbursements for years 2001 and thereafter, shall receive all amounts due to the State from the MSA Escrow. In calendar year 2001, there shall first be deposited into the Arkansas Healthy Century Trust Fund from the MSA Disbursements attributable to calendar year 2001, the amount necessary to bring the principal amount of the Arkansas Healthy Century Trust Fund to one-hundred million dollars ($100,000,000). The remainder of any MSA Disbursements attributable to calendar year 2001 shall be deposited into the Tobacco Settlement Program Fund and distributed pursuant to 19-12-108. Beginning in 2002, and for each annual MSA Disbursement thereafter, all MSA Disbursements shall be immediately deposited into the Tobacco Settlement Cash Holding Fund and then distributed, as soon as practical after receipt, as follows:

(1) The first five million dollars ($5,000,000) received as an MSA Disbursement in each calendar year beginning in 2002 shall be transferred from the Tobacco Settlement Cash Holding Fund to the Tobacco Settlement Debt Service Fund; and

(2) After the transfer described in 19-12-104(d)(1), the amounts remaining in the Tobacco Settlement Cash Holding Fund shall be transferred to the Tobacco Settlement Program Fund.

(e) While it is intended that the State Board of Finance will transfer funds from the Tobacco Settlement Cash Holding Fund immediately upon receipt, to the extent that any amounts must be held pending the transfers described in 19-12-104(c) and (d), the State Board of Finance is authorized to invest such amounts in suitable investments maturing not later than when the moneys are expected to be transferred, provided that such investments are made in compliance with 19-12-103(c).